TV REVIEW: Invincible S1E1: “It’s About Time”

Of all the superhero content scheduled for 2021, Invincible was the show I was most anticipating this year. Some of it stems from the fact that, for me, Invincible is easily my favorite creation by Robert Kirkman… yes, even over The Walking Dead. It was a comic that embraced the trappings of classic superheroes, while finding clever and unique ways to subvert the superhero genre. At the same time, it was never subversion simply for its own sake, to spite the audience, or for poorly thought-out shock value, but for genuinely considered story reasons. More than that, Invincible appealed to me because it is a popular superhero concept driven by the passion of its creators, rather than just out of a corporate mandate to monetize it. Everything from the casting to the trailers convinced me that Kirkman cared about getting the show done right. The question was whether Kirkman and Amazon would be able to bring that across on the small screen.

Thus far, Invincible succeeds as an animated series on just about every conceivable level. Robert Kirkman wisely decided to bring his creation to the small screen as an animated series, rather than going the live action route as Marvel did. This achieved dividends for the show, especially since Invincible faithfully recreates the look and the flavor of the comic perfectly. Every frame of the episode looks like something that Cory Walker or Ryan Ottley might have drawn, whether it’s the Grayson home or the Guardians of the Globe. There are a few small changes in the adaptation (such as Amber’s character design), and the story isn’t exactly the same, but there’s nothing that looks off-putting or untrue to the world that Kirkman and his artists created in the comic. The characters generally look and act exactly as you’d expect they would if you’re a fan of the comic, and if you aren’t, it’s a show that introduces them all effectively. Even minor characters like Titan (who wasn’t introduced in the comic until well into the series) are brought in well, are explained for the uninitiated, and seem like fully realized people even without much screen time.

At the same time, the show doesn’t recreate the comic exactly, and if you’ve read the whole series, the animated series plays out a bit differently. This approach allows Kirkman to make storytelling decisions that he didn’t take when he wrote the comic. Although the larger focus of the story is true to the original, especially with respect to Omni-Man and the Guardians of the Globe, we see a more seasoned Kirkman fill in gaps and give us a deeper sense of who Omni-Man and Mark Grayson are. We see Mark Grayson, a young man who idealizes his superhero father and finally sees his chance to become like him, struggle with his relationship with Nolan. The family drama is much more compelling rather than backdrop, and we get a stronger sense of the dynamics there. For instance, there’s a touching scene between Mark and his human mother, Debbie, who feels disconnected and a little isolated because she can’t share the one experience that Mark and Nolan do. At the same time, we see the love between Mark and Debbie as a family, and it’s a simple moment that establishes what they are to each other. We also truly get to know the Guardians of the Globe as more than just Justice League homages. Kirkman gives us brief glimpses into their lives, enough to make us care about each of the Guardians before they meet their final fate at the end of the episode. When the first major twist comes (which fans of the comic should expect), the blow hits harder because we’ve gotten to know the Guardians by this point. If you’re a fan of the comic, you’ll enjoy the new wrinkles from Kirkman, and if you aren’t, you’ll get a clear picture of what Invincible is by the final frame.

The voice casting of this show is impressive by any standard, as Invincible manages to bring in an all-star cast. While bringing in A-list talent is always desirable, there’s always the risk that the talent will overshadow the characters they’re playing. This is happily not the case here, as every voice actor is perfectly suited to the role and there are no distracting moments where the actor’s presence is noticeable. Steven Yeun plays a believable Mark Grayson, bringing the right amount of youthful energy and exuberance to the role. Sandra Oh is also quite good as Debbie, and her performance opposite Yeun clicks perfectly. The supporting characters are all excellent as well, and there’s not a single bad choice that I can see with any of the Guardians or any of the villains. However, the standout casting decision was in casting J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man, which is both inspired and brilliant. Simmons is an outstanding actor who is well known for roles like J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man films and Commissioner Gordon in the DCEU (where Simmons gave Gary Oldman a run for his money in his recent Snyder Cut scenes), so his credentials are impeccable. However, Simmons is honestly so perfect as Omni-Man that he could probably play Omni-Man in live action and no one would even question it. Nolan Grayson is a complicated character who plays the loving father, but he can go into very dark places at times, and Simmons captures all these aspects in his performance. Yeun and Simmons are excellent together, conveying the difficulties of the father/son relationship through the voice work. I’m impressed with the casting on this show, and it’s paid off quite well at this point.

When I talk about the importance of comics-accurate adaptations, Invincible is the kind of show that I like to point to. While not every detail is exact to the comic, the show understands who the characters are supposed to be and they rarely make changes that are needless. Even references to characters like Science Dog (called Séance Dog in the show for legal reasons) are forgivable and understandable given the effort of bringing the show to the screen. At the same time, Invincible is a show that embraces and takes pride in its comic book origins, while making the series its own and carving its own direction. The result is a series that anyone can enjoy, whether you’re a fan of the comic or not, and that should be the ideal that comic book shows should aspire to. Invincible is proving to be exactly the kind of superhero show we need right now, and I hope it continues like this for a long time to come.

Score: 5/5

Network: Amazon

Director: Robert Valley

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Cast: Steven Yeun, J.K. Simmons, Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, Andrew Rannells, Zazie Beets, Kevin Michael Richardson, Mahershala Ali, Lauren Cohan, Sonequa Martin-Green, Chad L. Coleman. Michael Cudlitz, Lennie James, Ross Marquand

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).